Honeycomb-decapping knife



Inventors Geo/ a W. MaP r ji'f esf C. Ha @yw/fl ww G W MARKLE ET AL HONEYCOMB DECAPPING KNIFE Filed Dec. 9. 1924 May 11 1926.

Patented May 11, 1926.

GEORGE W. MARKLE, OF BRANTFORD, AND ERNEST G. HARDER, OF BURFOBD TOJVN SHIP, BRANT COUNTY, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGHORS TO BRAHTIFORD, CANADA.

rue COMPANY, LIMITED, or

BUDDY MANUFACTUR- HONEYCOIIIEBDECAP PING KNIFE.

Application filed December 9, 19%.

objects of the invention are to facilitate the work of decapping honeycombs and to provide a knife, the blade of which may be maintained at a temperature which will prevent the honey and wax from coagulating and sticking on the blade, and further, to devise a structure which will be convenient to handle and in which the means for conducting the heating medium to the blade will not hamper its operation.

The principal feature of the invention consists in conducting a fluid heating me dium to and from a hollow blade through a tubular handle and insulating the handle grip from the heat carrying conduits.

A further feature of importance consists in conducting the heating medium directly to the point of the knife and then distributing it uniformly over the blade area, the return being taken from the base of the blade where it is connected with the handle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an edge view of the improved knife.

F igure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross section through the handle taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4; is an enlarged cross section through the blade taken on the line 4-fl of Figure 2.

1n the decapping of honeycombs prior to placing the combs in the honey extractor, the knife is used to shear the outer covering of wax from the comb and if the knife is cold the honey and broken portions of wax will stick to the surface and coagulate there in such a manner as to materially interfere with the use of the knife.

Knives have been used provided With a steam jacket on one side of the blade but cmisiderable difficulty has been experienced in keeping the point of the knife hot and also in getting rid of the condensing steam. liurlhor, the manner of feeding the steam and taking away the exhaust has been such a. to hamper the operator in his use of the knife and the present invention has been devised to overcome these faults.

in the construction herein shown the steel blade 1 is of the double edged form having the base of the blade provided with an offset- 2. This offset portion is perforated with a hole arranged centrally of the Width The principal Serial N 0. 754,865.

of the blade and a tube 3 is inserted through the hole and is brazed or soldered to the blade.

An arched sheet metal casing 1-. of thin sheet metal is secured to the face of the blade and abuts the offset 2 and encloses the end of the tube 3 and forms a steam jacket extending over the major portion of the blade surface. A handle 5 is secured upon the tube 3 so that the transversely slotted end 6 en ages the end of the offset 2 of the blade.

The handle is provided with a longitudinal orifice T of larger diameter than'the tube 3 which extends from the butt end to a point adjacent to the slotted end and forms an insulating space between the tube and the handle, which space may be filled with an insulating material such as asbestos if required.

The butt end by an arbor 8 which fits over the tube 3 and the arbor is secured in place by a nut 9 threaded upon the end of the tube 3. A second look nut 19 is provided on the threaded tube 8 and a casing 11 is threaded on to the butt endof the tube.

A small tube 12 extends longitudinally through the casing 11 and is rigidly secured therein and enters and passes through the tube 3 and extends to the point end of the steam jacket enclosed by the casing 1.. The tube 12 is of considerably smaller diameter than the tube 3 so that there is a CODSldQT- able space between the outer wall of the tube 12 and the inner wall of the tube 3 which allows of the flow of fluid therearound.

A tube 13 is secured in the casing 11 at one side thereof and communicates with the interior of the casing and the steam jacket through the space surrounding the tube 12.

In the use of this device, tube 12 projecting beyond the casing 11 is connected with a suitable flexible tube which conducts a supply of preferably steam and the steam is carried by the tube 12 directly to the point of the knife and fills the jacket formed by the casing 1, covering practically the entire surface of the knife so that a uniform temperature will be maintained throughout its length with the exception that the blade will be maintained hotter at the point than any where else.

of the handle is supported the end of the.

acket through it is conducted hampered.

fluid is conducted; from the the tube 8 surrounding the tube 12 back into the casing 11 from whence by the tube 13, which may be connected to a suitable, exhaust tube.

It will be readily seen that this knife may be heated by steam or hot water or other The heatingheating fluid from any available source and that the continuous flow of the return is un- There are no pockets for the return fluid to lodge in, nor can the fluid be short circuitcd as the hot fluid is conducted directly. to the point of the knife which is the point farthest away from the end of: the tube 3 entering-the jacket.

It will. be readily understood that the knife may be handled withease, as the flow and exhaust tubes botlilead from the back end of the handle and will not be in the way of the operator. It will be noted that the casing 11 is readily removable from the threaded end of the tube 3 and as the tube 12 is connected to said casing it may be easily removed to facilitate the cleaning of same.

The handle proper is insulated from the tubular steam conductor and is therefore kept quite cool.

lVhatwe claim as our invention is l. A honeycomb decapping knife, comprising, a hollow blade, a handle,a conduit separate from the blade extending through the interior thereof for delivering a fluid heating medium at the point end of the blade, andimeans for conducting'the return fluid'from the base of the blade.

2. A honeycomb decapping knife, comprising, a hollow blade, a handle secured to the blade, a tube extending through the handle to the point end of the hollow blade, and a tube connected with thebase of the blade extending through the handle.

3. A honeycomb decapping knife, comprising, a hollow handle, a blade secured to said handle and havinga heating jacket thereon, a tube extending through the hollow handle and connected with the blade, and a smaller tube than the aforesaid: tube extending thercthrough and projecting into the heatingjacketon the blade.

l. A honeycomb decapping knife, comprising, a hollow handle, alubecxtendiug longitudinally through said handle, a blade secured to the forward end of the tube projecting through the handle, a jacket formed on the blade and enclosing the end of said supporting tube, a casing secured to the butt end of the tube extending through the handle, a tube leading from said casing, and a tube of a smaller external diameter than the internal. diameter of the handle tube extending through said casing and through said' handle tube and projecting into the blade-jacket and extending to the point end thereof.

5. A. honeycomb decappiug; knife, comprising,.a blade having anoffset base end having 'an orifice therethrough, a metal-tube extending through said orifice and secured to the blade and having its opposite end threaded externally, ahandle placed over said tube and engagingt-he offset end of the blade, a lock nut threaded on saidtube and securing said handle, a casing"- threaded on the endof the tube and comn'iunicating with the tube, a tube secured in said casing and leading therefrom, a sheet. metal jacket se cured tothe bladoand enclosing-the end of the tube projectingtherethrough, and a tube extending through said. casing and said handle tube and projecting into the jacketof: the blade.

6. In a honeycomb decapping knife, the combination with a. hollow blade, of a tubular handle secured to said blade, a tube extending through said tubular handle into said blade, and means for detachably supporting said-tube .within said tubular handle.

7. In a honeycomb decapping knife, the combination with a hollow blade, of a tu bular member rigidly secured to said blade and having athreaded outer end, a casing threaded on the threaded end of said tubular member and enclosing the same, a supplytube extending through and secured to said casing and extending through the tubular member into.thc blade, and a return tube secured in said casing.

GEORGE lV. MARKLE. ERNEST C. HARDIE. 

